Planned Parenthood Releases Report, Calls for Action and Education to Prevent Cervical Cancer in Minnesota

Today, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) released a report on cervical cancer prevention as part of a sustained effort to raise awareness of public health issues in Minnesota.

Click here to download the report and see a PPMNS video about the importance of regular screening and access to reproductive health care, as discussed by a Planned Parenthood nurse practitioner.

Cervical cancer has historically been one of the most common causes of cancer death for women in the United States. It is now one of the most preventable gynecological cancers, largely due to effective screening strategies and new vaccinations that can help prevent the leading cause of this type of cancer – the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV.

The report contextualizes the impact of cervical cancer, the HPV virus and the HPV vaccine and explores solutions for addressing this public health imperative.

More than half of all sexually active people will acquire HPV at some point in their lives. By the age of 50, more than 80% of women will have been infected.

The HPV vaccine is widely hailed as a critical advance in the field of women's health, the vaccine is effective in preventing infections with HPV types 16 and 18, two high-risk strains that cause 70 percent of all cervical cancers.

"The promise of the HPV vaccine is profound. Within one generation, we have the potential to provide our daughters and granddaughters with an unprecedented level of protection from cervical cancer," said PPMNS President and CEO Sarah Stoesz.

A recent report from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine shows that only about 1 in 3 young women have received the HPV vaccine and a Center for Disease Control (CDC) survey supports this finding.  In 2008, only 37% of teens had received the vaccine.  The percentage is even lower in Minnesota, with only 33.6% of young women getting the vaccine.

In a report released by the CDC this month, there is more troubling news. According to the study, the vast majority of pediatricians and family physicians reported offering the HPV vaccine, but not at the CDC recommended age of 11 to 12 years old. Parents also were more likely to refuse the vaccine for younger patients.

PPMNS calls on community health care leaders and policy-makers to come together to educate parents, health care providers and educators about the important benefits of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer and to ensure that rural women and women of color have equal access to cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccinations.

Planned Parenthood works throughout Minnesota to help prevent and reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. In the past two years alone, we've offered more than 33,000 routine Pap screenings that can help detect cellular changes before they become cancerous. PPMNS provided more than 2,000 women with advanced gynecological care, including colposcopy and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) that can further detect and treat abnormal cervical cells. Moreover, Planned Parenthood offers the Gardasil vaccine, which prevents 4 of the most common types of HPV, including those high-risk types linked to cervical cancer. PPMNS has administered the HPV vaccine to more than 5000 women and men across our region to help reduce the risk of acquiring HPV-related cancers.

"Every effort must be made to ensure brighter, healthier futures for women in Minnesota," said Stoesz.